Anita Dow - Now Departing From Platform 54 is a memoir covering one man's working life on British regional railways from the 1970s until his retirement in 2004, just before privatisation. As a young boy, the author's early fascination with the activities in a local railway signal box led to an eventual full-time career with British Rail in Scotland. Douglas Tetlow describes how this came about, with amusing anecdotes about the characters and situations he encountered. He also shares many interesting scenarios he experienced in that era, before computerisation brought significant changes to his working life. Alcohol consumption at lunchtime and smoking on-site were all part of the job in those days. At times, office workers like Douglas were expected to provide cover for more physical work, such as repairs to railway tracks. The memoir is not delivered entirely chronologically, but mostly in themed chapters, such as the 'Jolly Boys' train journeys across Europe, undertaken with a couple of friends. Author Tetlow has a straightforward and understated writing style, and the book has been well edited and proofread. There are a number of black and white photographs included, which add interest and context. I imagine this memoir will have greatest appeal to those who worked in the industry during the period between the 1970s and the early 2000s, and also train 'spotters' and enthusiasts of the same era.